Meet the opposition | Stoke City
As the Swans prepare to take on Stoke City on Saturday afternoon, we take a closer look at the Potters.
What's their history?
Founded in 1863 as Stoke Ramblers, the club was originally made up largely of local railway workers.
They became Stoke Football Club in 1878 before adopting the name Stoke City in 1920.
The club's first, and to date only, major trophy came in 1972, when they beat Chelsea to win the League Cup.
The Potters have also won the Football League Trophy twice, in 1992 and 2000.
After a successful spell under Tony Pulis saw Stoke reach the Premier League and the FA Cup final, they were relegated in 2018 and are now in their ninth season back in the Championship.
How's their form?
Stoke City booked their place in Round Two of the Carabao Cup last weekend with a 2-0 win over League Two side Oldham Athletic.
An own goal from Latics captain Ollie Norburn and a strike from Róbert Boženík were enough to seal progression, with Luke Graham, Svante Ingelsson, Djibril Soumare and Ethan Galbraith all making their full home debuts.
The Potters will now face Hull City in the next round.
Who’s the gaffer?
Mark Robins. The 56-year-old came through the ranks at Manchester United, making around 50 appearances before moving on to Norwich City. He played more than 400 games and scored over 100 goals during a 17-year playing career.
Robins is perhaps best remembered for his crucial goal against Oldham Athletic in the 1990 FA Cup semi-final replay, which helped Manchester United reach the final and win the first trophy of Alex Ferguson’s reign.
He moved into management with Rotherham United in 2007 before enjoying successful spells with Barnsley and Coventry City, as well as managing Huddersfield Town and Scunthorpe United.
Robins returned to Coventry in 2017 and guided the club from League Two to the Championship, before taking them to the 2023 Championship play-off final.
After nearly eight years in charge, he left Coventry in November 2024 and was soon appointed by Stoke City.
Who’s the captain?
There is a new man wearing the armband at Stoke City this season, with goalkeeper Viktor Johansson taking over from former Swansea defender Ben Wilmot.
Johansson joined Stoke from Rotherham United in 2024, having spent four years with the Millers. He played a key role in their 2021-22 promotion campaign, keeping 27 clean sheets and helping the club lift the EFL Trophy.
His first season at Stoke was equally impressive, keeping 14 league clean sheets and being named the club's Player of the Year.
The Sweden international made his senior debut in 2023 and was recently named in former Swans boss Graham Potter’s FIFA World Cup squad.
Who are the key men?
Wales international midfielder Sorba Thomas has established himself as an integral part of Stoke City’s attacking force since arriving at the bet365 Stadium last summer.
A product of West Ham United’s academy, Thomas joined Huddersfield Town in January 2021 after five years at Boreham Wood. He went on to make more than 100 appearances for the Terriers, with loan spells at Blackburn Rovers and Ligue 1 side Nantes also following.
His first season with Stoke proved productive, with Thomas making 47 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing 12 assists.
He finished the campaign as the club’s Player of the Year and earned a place in the 2025–26 EFL Championship Team of the Season.
At international level, Thomas has earned 27 caps for Wales, scoring once.
Ben Pearson has established himself as an experienced midfielder since joining Stoke permanently in 2023.
A product of Manchester United’s academy, Pearson joined Preston North End in January 2016 and made more than 150 appearances for the club before moving to AFC Bournemouth in 2021.
He helped Bournemouth secure promotion to the Premier League in 2021–22 before joining Stoke on loan in January 2023 and completing a permanent move that summer.
After an injury-hit 2024-25 campaign, Pearson returned in February 2025 and made 14 appearances as Stoke avoided relegation on the final day.
He scored his first goal for the Potters in a 2–1 victory over Swansea City in December 2025 and went on to make 34 appearances during the 2025–26 season.